Exterior cover for a hinged computing device with modified footprint

ABSTRACT

An exterior cover for attachment to the exterior surface of a hinged computing device&#39;s base may modify the size, position, and/or footprint of one or more extensions, or feet, projecting from the bottom of the base. The modification may serve to increase the stability of the hinged computing device when the hinged computing device is in an open position (i.e., when the display element is separated from the base).

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a NONPROVISIONAL of, claims priority to, and incorporates by reference U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/460,096 filed Dec. 27, 2010.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to an exterior cover for a base of a hinged computing device that modifies a footprint of an extension from the bottom of the base.

BACKGROUND

Hinged laptop computers have been in the marketplace since 1982 when the GRiD Compass computer was introduced. Since that time the architecture of the products has remained relatively unchanged. The computer is divided into two halves separated by a friction hinge. On one side of the hinge is the module that contains the display and some electronics to drive it—known collectively as the display element. One the other side is the module containing the keyboard, the pointing device, I/O ports, main computing circuitry, memory, batteries and other media including optical drives, etc.—known collectively as the base. During the evolution of this platform, the overall weight of the laptop computer has always been a concern and there have been a lot of engineering resources deployed to reduce the overall weight. Typically, weight has been reduced from the base of the computer. This is because there are more opportunities for weight reduction and, for most of the history of the hinged laptop computer, the base has weighed significantly more than the display element.

Recently there have been some technological changes that have accelerated this process and the base weight has dropped dramatically. Chief among these are three trends.

-   -   1. Some hinged laptop computers have eliminated optical drives         altogether relying on connectivity to transfer large amounts of         information.     -   2. Some hinged laptop computers have moved away from Winchester         hard disk drives and replaced those with solid-state memory for         the computer's main memory storage.     -   3. Battery technology has improved in lockstep with many of the         computer's components being less power intensive. Because of         this, the battery packs are smaller.

This weight reduction of the base has led to a reduction of the stability of the laptop computer when in an open position. For example, when the computer is sitting on a desk and the user opens the laptop computer by, for example, separating the display element from the base, the entire laptop computer exhibits a tendency to tip backward pivoting about the rear feet if the user does not restrain the base.

SUMMARY

An exterior cover for a base of a hinged computing device having a display element and a base joined together via a hinge is herein disclosed. An exterior surface of the base may include one or more extension(s), or feet, that extends downward from the bottom exterior surface of the base.

The exterior cover may be made from, for example, plastic, rubber, metal, a polycarbonate material, and/or a para-aramid material via any available process and may include a fitted cavity shaped to accept insertion of the base or a portion thereof. The fitted cavity may include a depression shaped to accept insertion of the extension and modify a footprint of the extension. In one embodiment, the depression may be shaped so as to decrease a distance between the extension and the hinge.

Exemplary modifications include an enlargement of the footprint for the extension or a repositioning of the footprint. On some occasions, modification of the footprint may improve the stability of the hinged computing device when the display element is extended away from the base (i.e., the hinged computing device is in an open position).

The exterior cover may also include an attachment mechanism for attaching the exterior cover to the base, the attachment mechanism being coupled to the fitted cavity. The attachment mechanism may be, for example, one or more of a tab, an adhesive, an overhang, a clip, and/or a strap.

In some embodiments, the exterior cover includes one or more apertures sized and positioned to align with a feature of the hinged computing device and thereby enable access to the feature.

In some embodiments, the exterior cover may be a molded piece of material, such as plastic, rubber, silicon, metal, fabric, a polycarbonate material, and/or a para-aramid material shaped to attach to and substantially cover an exterior surface of the base and modify a footprint of the extension.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present application is illustrated by way of example, and not limitation, in the Figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a side perspective view of a hinged computing device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate bottom plan views of exemplary bases of hinged computing devices, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A and 4B depicts side perspective views of exemplary exterior covers, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 depicts a side view of the attachment of an exterior cover to a base of a hinged computing device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 depicts a cross-sectional view of exterior cover 400 when attached to a base of a hinged computing device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals and characters, unless otherwise stated, are used to denote like features, elements, components, or elements of the illustrated embodiments. Moreover, while the subject invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, the description is done in connection with the illustrative embodiments. It is intended that changes and modifications can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the true scope and spirit of the subject invention as defined by the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a side perspective view of a hinged computing device 100 that includes a display element 110 and a base 120 including a keyboard 125 and a track pad 130 joined together via a hinge 140. Exemplary hinged computing devices 100 include laptop computers and mobile computing devices. Display element 110 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display, a touchscreen, or a light emitting diode display. Base 120 may include, for example, a user interface, a battery, a data storage device, a keyboard, a touchscreen, a trackpad, and/or a mouse.

FIG. 2A Illustrates a bottom plan view of a first exemplary base 120 that includes four extensions 140 that extend outwardly from the bottom of base 120. Extensions 140 may act to, for example, elevate a bottom surface of base 120 from an underlying surface, such as a tabletop. On some occasions, a coefficient of friction associated with extensions 140 may be greater than a coefficient of friction associated with the bottom surface of base 120. On these occasions, extensions 140 may act to prevent movement or sliding of base 120 when in contact with an underlying surface.

FIG. 3 Illustrates a bottom plan view of a second exemplary base 120 that includes an extension 145 that extends outwardly from the bottom of base 120. Extension 145 may act to, for example, elevate a bottom surface of base 120 from an underlying surface, such as a tabletop. On some occasions, a coefficient of friction associated with extension 145 may be greater than a coefficient of friction associated with the bottom surface of base 120. On these occasions, extension 145 may act to prevent movement or sliding of base 120 when in contact with an underlying surface.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate side perspective views of exemplary exterior covers 400 for base 120. Exterior covers 400 may be manufactured from, for example, plastic, rubber, metal, fabric, a polycarbonate material, and/or a para-aramid material and may be available in a variety of colors, patterns, and/or surface finishes. Exterior covers 400 may be manufactured via any conventionally available manufacturing process, such as, but not limited to, injection molding and/or vacuum forming.

Exterior covers 400 may include a fitted cavity 440 shaped to accept insertion of a bottom portion of base 120. Exemplary covers 400 may also include one or more attachment mechanisms 450 for attaching exterior cover 400 to the base. Exemplary attachment mechanisms 450 include a plurality of tabs, an adhesive, an overhang, a clip, Velcro™, and a strap. Exterior covers 400 may further include one or more apertures 430 sized and positioned to align with a feature (e.g., a hinge, a closure device, a user interface port or a power port) of the hinged computing device and thereby enable access to the feature when base 120 is inserted into cover 400.

Fitted cavity 440 may include one or more depressions 420 sized and shaped to accept insertion and modify a footprint of one or more extensions 140 and/or 145. Modification of the footprint may include, for example, an enlargement of the footprint and/or the repositioning of the footprint. For example, the depressions 420 of the exterior cover 400 depicted in FIG. 4A are sized and shaped to accept insertion and modify a footprint of extensions 140 as depicted in FIG. 2. Likewise, the depressions 420 of the exterior cover 400 depicted in FIG. 4B are sized and shaped to accept insertion and modify a footprint of extension 145 as depicted in FIG. 3.

In one embodiment, depression(s) 420 may be shaped so as to decrease a distance between extension 140/145 and an edge of base 120 and/or hinge 130. In another embodiment, a shape of the footprint of the extension may be modified by exterior cover 400 so as to improve the stability of hinged computing device 100 when display element 110 is extended away from base 120.

FIG. 5 depicts a side view of the attachment of exterior cover 400 to base 120, wherein base 120 is inserted into exterior cover 400. As can be seen in FIG. 5, insertion of extension 140/145 into depression 420 increases the footprint of extension 140/145. This increase in the footprint may serve to increase the overall stability of hinged computing device 100 when display element 110 is extended away from base 120 (i.e., in an open position).

FIG. 6 depicts a cross-sectional view of exterior cover 400 when attached to base 120. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the insertion of extension 140/145 into depression 420 increases the footprint of extension 140/145.

Thus, an exterior cover for an interface portion of a hinged computing device that modifies a footprint of an extension from the bottom surface of the interface portion has been described. 

1. An exterior cover for a base of a hinged computing device having a display element and a base joined together via a hinge, wherein an exterior surface of the base includes an extension, the exterior cover comprising: a fitted cavity shaped to accept insertion of the base, the fitted cavity including a depression shaped to accept insertion of the extension and modify a footprint of the extension; and an attachment mechanism for attaching the exterior cover to the base, the attachment mechanism being coupled to the fitted cavity.
 2. The exterior cover of claim 1, wherein the depression is shaped so as to decrease a distance between the extension and the hinge.
 3. The exterior cover of claim 1, wherein the shape of the footprint of the extension is modified by the exterior cover so as to improve the stability of the hinged computing device when the display element is extended away from the base.
 4. The exterior cover of claim 1, wherein the modification is an enlargement of the footprint.
 5. The exterior cover of claim 1, wherein the modification is a repositioning of the footprint.
 6. The exterior cover of claim 1, wherein the exterior cover is comprised of at least one of plastic, rubber, metal, a polycarbonate material, and a para-aramid material.
 7. The exterior cover of claim 1, further comprising: an aperture sized and positioned to align with a feature of the hinged computing device and thereby enable access to the feature.
 8. The exterior cover of claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism is at least one of a plurality of tabs, an adhesive, an overhang, a clip, and a strap.
 9. The exterior cover of claim 1, wherein the fitted cavity is shaped to accept insertion of only a portion of the base.
 10. An exterior cover for an base of a hinged computing device having a display element and a base, wherein an exterior surface of the base includes an extension, the exterior cover comprising: a molded piece of material shaped to attach to and substantially cover an exterior surface of the base and modify a footprint of the extension.
 11. The exterior cover of claim 10, wherein the modification is an enlargement of the footprint.
 12. The exterior cover of claim 10, wherein the modification is a repositioning of the footprint.
 13. The exterior cover of claim 10, wherein the exterior cover is comprised of at least one of plastic, rubber, metal, a polycarbonate material, and a para-aramid material.
 14. The exterior cover of claim 10, further comprising: an aperture sized and positioned to align with a feature of the hinged computing device and thereby enable access to the feature.
 15. The exterior cover of claim 10, wherein the attachment mechanism is at least one of a plurality of tabs, an adhesive, an overhang, a clip, and a strap.
 16. The exterior cover of claim 10, wherein the fitted cavity is shaped to accept insertion of only a portion of the base. 